my simplest productivity hack: a .log file in notepad

notepadproductivitywindows28 replies · 328 views · started
  1. not gonna lie this is driving me nuts i wanted a super simple work log without installing anything. someone told me about Notepads .LOG trick. create a new text file, type .LOG in uppercase as the very first line, save it, and close it. the next time you open it in Notepad, it automatically adds the current time and date at the end and puts your cursor below it.

    Every time I open it, I get a fresh timestamp and just start typing. Also, F5 in Notepad inserts teh time and date anywhere. Decades-old features I never knew.

    thinking

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  2. hmmm is the first line exactly .LOG in caps?

    thinking

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  3. oof have u checked your noetpad settings? mine were reset after an update, reading this at 2am instead of sleeping, no regrets good luck man!

    printer saw i was in a hurry and chose violence

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  4. ok so it must be exactly .LOG in uppercase as teh very first line. Lowercase or a leading space won't trigger it.

    0 1 helpful
  5. Put the file in a synced folder (OneDrive, a network share) and you have a dead simple work log across machines. hope that helps :)

    day one patch is bigger than the actual game, classic

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  6. yeahhh F5 also works in teh Edit menu as "Time/Date". it uses your system's short date and time format. worked for me anyway 🤷

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  7. on Windows 11, the redesigned Notepad restores tabs between sessions. test the .LOG behavior with your setup, since a restored tab isn't quite the same as opening the file fresh.

    DNS. its always DNS

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  8. any update on this?... same issue here on my desktop... following this thread ??

    0 0 helpful
  9. @gabe_router ok boomer lol but hey ymmv

    @larslan suree, and when it breaks again ull be back here asking but hey ymmv

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  10. @larslan suree, and when it breaks again ull be back here asking but hey ymmv

    @gabe_router WHY are we still arguing about this. FIXING IT PROPERLY 🙏 DONE. 🙄 idk maybe im wrong lol

    2 1 helpful
  11. if u need more structure later, teh same idea works with a Markdown file and a proper editor, but nothing beats Notepad for speed.

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  12. ehh this is a very old trick, its been passed around since teh Windows 95 era. Still delightful though.

    5 0 helpful

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